The Network of Organizations for Children of Serbia – MODS assumes that quality education is one of the human rights that every human being gets at their birth, and that the availability of quality education is a fundamental right of every child. Quality, inclusive education is available to every child when it is inclusive.
Education is inclusive when it is focused on children and their well-being; when we create an environment that supports each child, when every child is accepted and feels accepted in their community, at school, among peers; when we remove barriers and adapt environment so that every child could participate in activities with their peers, when we are sure that children achieve their optimal development.
Quality education and upbringing allow for all children to engage in enriching contacts with peers and adults, to develop skills and abilities in a suitable, interesting and meaningful way, to deal with contents which enhance their knowledge and which are related to their interests and daily life. Quality education and upbringing involve teamwork of educators, teachers, experts, parents and co-operation with local communities. Quality education takes into account inclusion of every child.
Parents and teachers are the keepers of inclusive education
Continuous improvement of the quality of education and upbringing process is at the hearth of inclusive education. When teachers and educators look for new ways and means for each child to gain knowledge; be curious, active, independent; to master various life and academic skills; to personalize content, encourage children to connect knowledge from different areas, help children to discover the connection between natural and social phenomena and what they learn, then we talk about quality and inclusive education and upbringing.
Inclusive education enables every child and young person in a kindergarten, school or a community to meet their basic human needs: to contribute, have choice and control in their own lives and benefits of places used by other members of a community, to be recognized as a person with their own identity and to belong. Education is inclusive when it leads to involvement of children in everyday, normal, regular life activities while building relationships with peers and adults.
Inclusive education is a measure of democracy in a society. It shows that people are important to us and that we cherish the values of mutual care, consideration and respect. Inclusive education is solidarity in action; a picture of society in which we want to live – in a safe and fair way; a society that does not abandon its children, in which you can be different, which does not discriminate, does not underestimate; a society in which you feel worthy, appreciated and respected; a society in which we take care of each other. Inclusive education is based on the respect for human rights which belong to every human being by the very birth.